For the past two weeks, my Medical Nutrition Therapy class has been studying nutrigenomics. Most of you are probably thinking “what the heck is nutrigenomics???”. Well, nutrigenomics is “the scientific study of the interaction of nutrition and genes, especially with regard to the prevention or treatment of disease”.

In the past, we have been able to identify one specific gene linking to one specific disorder such as sickle cell anemia or cystic fibrosis. But with an increased amount of genetic research and new technology arising each day, we are able to discover how genetic variation can affect a person’s response to bioactive food components. This can help personalize and individualize a patient’s nutrition strategy whether it is for disease prevention or bettering their health. While one person may benefit from a low fat diet, the next person might benefit more from a low sodium diet. And we will soon be able to discover this through genetics.

Can you imagine the improved outcomes one may have if their nutrition diagnosis is made to fit their genetic variances?!  

Although we don’t know how far out we are until this information will be used in the clinical setting, it is approaching us at a quicker rate than we all might think! xoxo

You know when one little bad thing happens to your day and then everything just goes downhill from there? Well, that was me today. It all started when my dreadful alarm went off at 5:45 am. I was way too cozy in my bed and the thought of getting up to go to class nauseated me. I quite literally rolled out of my bed so I wouldn’t have a choice but to get up.

I got to class and realized we had a speaker today, a child nutritionist. As I was listening to her tell us about her job and what I day in her shoes was like, I thought about how petty and negative it was of me to be so ungrateful about going to class. I am so fortunate to be able to attend such an amazing school and get an outstanding education while I’m at it! And on top of it all, I get to study something I LOVE learning about, nutrition.

This then spiraled me into thinking about how a negative mind will perceive negative thoughts and a positive mind will perceive positive thoughts. After class I had a million issues going on with my laptop, but I didn’t let it worry or bother me. I stayed positive and it all worked out in the end! If I would’ve dealt with that with the same attitude I had this morning, I would’ve just been a grumpy gills all day long.

Everything starts with your mind…everything you think, say, or do. If you aren’t calm, cool, and collected up there, what makes you think you’re body will be?! A healthy and positive lifestyle begins with positive thinking, which then leads to motivation, which then leads to planning, which then leads to action, which then leads to results!!

I challenge each of you reading this to find the positive each day. At the end of your day, when you’re in bed, think about something good that happened. Even if you had the worst day of your life, I bet you could find at least ONE good thing.

I know how stressful and crazy life gets, trust me. But when you have a happy head on your shoulders, everything will fall into place! xoxo

This is a family favorite back home! Every time I am home for break, this is the first thing I request to have. This recipe is packed with protein, Vitamin A, and Vitamin C. This delectable pasta is sure to keep you full throughout the evening!

• 12-15 uncooked shrimp
• 1 oz bottle of White Cooking Wine
• 1 container of cherry tomatoes
• 2 lemons
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 Tbs of Italian seasoning
• 2 ladles of the pasta water (so don’t throw out the water when you are done)
• Whole wheat spaghetti noodles
• Fresh parmesan cheese grated

For most of you, class has already started! My school starts classes next week after we compete for the National Championship (roll tide!). If you’re like me, once you get hungry in class, all focus is gone. These are a few of my favorite easy, on-the-go snacks to get you through the day!

→Apples and peanut butter: this may sound like a simple snack but it never fails to curb my hunger! This snack is packed with protein and vitamin C…both are great with boosting your energy!

→Greek yogurt and granola: one of my favorite things to eat for breakfast before a long day of classes.

→Toast, almond butter, and strawberries: this is also great with bananas!

→Hummus and veggie sticks: I love this for an afternoon snack between lunch and dinner time.

→Avocado toast: (insert basic, white girl snapchat here) but seriously, this is a great healthy fat to have in your diet!

→Almonds: this is an easy snack to bring with you to eat in class without drawing attention to yourself!

I made these snacks as simple as possible because I know as students, we don’t have that much extra time in our day between classes and clubs and extra curricular activities. I also live in my sorority house and we don’t have a kitchen we can use ourselves, so I tried to make these no-bake friendly. These are also perfect snacks for freshmen living in dorms! i hope y’all enjoyed these easy snacks. xoxo

We’ve all heard that saying…”new year, new me!”. But does that really happen, do you really change every year? Think back to last year’s new year’s eve. What resolutions did you make? Did you accomplish them or fail? Or do you not even remember the resolutions that you made?

I am personally in the category of not even remembering the resolutions I made last year; which really got me thinking, what even is a resolution? According to the dictionary, a resolution is “a firm decision to do or not to do something”. So let’s think of some common new year’s resolutions such as “I am going to go to the gym” or “I am not going to gossip as much”. Where is the plan behind these resolutions? The definition doesn’t distinguish that these decisions should be followed through with a plan of action.

Now let’s switch to the word goal, according to the dictionary a goal is “the object of a person’s ambition or effort; an aim or desired result”. Some common goals may be “I am going to graduate college in four years, earn a degree, and get a job” or “I am going to go to the gym 4 days a week for 1 hour each”.  A goal should follow the SMART rule; specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. These goals have much more description and planning than a resolution, in my opinion.

So with that, I say “why do we need a new year to motivate us to do things we should already be doing?”. Sure, a new year gives us a “clean slate” in a way, but at the same time it really doesn’t .

Instead of making new year’s resolutions that you’re going to forget 3 months from now, make a goal. And not some silly little sentence that you’ll also forget, but a REAL plan of action. Something you’re passionate about, something that is realistic. Pull out your notebook or planner and write your goal at the top of the page. Write it big so you won’t forget it. Make a timeline for your goal and take action!! The only person in the way of achieving your goals is you.  

About one year ago, I got a postcard in the mail. The front of the postcard read, “Sometimes the best thing you can do is not think, not obsess…just breathe”. This really got me thinking about the high level of stress in my life. I would get so upset over one sub par grade or over someone’s unkind words; it would ruin my entire day, week, or even month. I started to take control of my anxious tendencies and find the positive out of any situation! I am not perfect at this by any means, but I have improved immensely when it comes to calming down and not letting one thing ruin my life.

I challenge you to set your own goal. Write it on your mirror, your phone, your notebook, your planner, etc.! Let’s stop with the “new year, new me” crap and push each other to become the best versions of ourselves. God put us all on this planet for a specific reason, find that reason and let it shine! xoxo

The holidays are here y’all, and we all know what that means…holiday parties galore! Instead of restricting yourself from all of the delicious food this holiday season, I have compiled a list of my top five helpful and easy to follow health tips!

Don’t starve yourself. Eat a light healthy meal to curb your hunger and cravings before the party; this way you’ll be less tempted to over indulge at the party as well! Starving yourself and then over indulging can really mess with your metabolism, which can take a while for your body to get back on track afterwards.

Eat until you are satisfied, not stuffed. You always here Uncle Larry or some other relative say, “After that meal, I need to loosen my belt a notch!” That is NOT a normal way to feel. And let’s be honest, when you feel that bloated, you just want to crawl in a hole and sleep forever. You will feel much more comfortable and energized after your meal, if you don’t overeat!

Control your sauces. You may not be able to control what is served at the holiday party, but you can control what you are pouring on top of those items such as gravy, melted butter, marshmallow, etc. These sauces can add anywhere from 50 to 300 calories on top of the food item you are eating!

Plan time for exercise. There is absolutely no excuse for not having time to exercise. Simply walking your dog is better than sitting on the couch! Like Elle Woods said, “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people don’t shoot their husbands. They just don’t!”

If you are baking, substitute those unhealthy options for a healthier alternative. You know those fried onion rings on top of your green bean casserole? Replace them with sliced or crushed up almonds! I promise it will taste just as good. Another healthy alternative is replacing butter in recipes with unsweetened applesauce. This cuts the amount of sugar in the recipe almost in half!

I hope y’all found these five tips helpful with the holiday season approaching. I wish each of you safe travels this upcoming week and the happiest of holidays! xoxo

If you’re anything like me, most days you do not have enough time to make a delicious breakfast each morning. I used to end up just grabbing a granola bar or an apple and head to class…until I discovered this gem of a recipe! Nutrition wise, this recipe is chalk full of it! Protein, iron, calcium, and omega-3’s…oh my! This is a great way to start off the long day you may have coming up. The beauty of this breakfast is you make it the night before, aka all you have to do the next day is add any topping of your choice and it’s ready to eat. This recipe is fool proof and takes less than 3 minutes to prepare (which is always a plus). I have listed the recipe below along with my favorite toppings to add along with it! Enjoy!!

This recipe makes 2 cups of the pudding.

Ingredients:

• 10 ounces of your choice of coconut milk
• 1/4-1/2 cup of chia seeds (this depends on the amount of seeds you want in the pudding…if you want it to look like the picture, use 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Optional: 1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup (this will add to the sweetness of the pudding)

Directions:

• Add the coconut milk, chia seeds, vanilla extract, and maple syrup into a large bowl or jar.
• Whisk these ingredients together until there is a consistent texture throughout.
• Cover in plastic wrap or screw on a lid.
• Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight (the longer you refrigerate it, the thicker the consistency will become).
  • P.S. If you leave this pudding in the refrigerator longer than overnight, the chia seeds will become mushy!

Toppings:

• For the pictures attached, I used clementine oranges as a topping because we desperately needed to go grocery shopping in my house! I was pleasantly surprised, though. It added a tart taste to the sweet recipe!
• My favorite toppings for this pudding would have to be strawberries, raspberries, and vanilla almond butter! I am a huge vanilla fan, so I enjoy adding the vanilla almond butter, but any almond or peanut butter will taste delicious!
• Toasted coconut chips
• Mango
• Banana

If you try this recipe, please let me know in the ‘contact’ tab! Let me know what toppings you enjoyed and how yours turned out. xoxo

I know, I know…you’re probably saying “there are way too many blogs in this world”. Buuuut another one can’t hurt, right?? After my first semester of upper division classes in food and nutrition, I have already gained a wealth of knowledge and I want to share that knowledge with all of you! I will have to say the hardest part thus far has been picking a name for this blog. I decided to take the “punny” route and chose Another One Bites The Crust; hopefully I’m not the only one who gets it! To stay on track when I get back to school, I have set a posting schedule of Tuesdays and Fridays. My Tuesday post will be food related, whether it is a recipe or some fun food facts! My Friday post will be a health and wellness related post. I am so excited about starting this new adventure and I can’t wait to learn and grow along the way! Please be patient with me throughout this process as I am brand new to this and I will probably make a few mistakes during this journey! If you have any suggestions for posts or constructive criticism, please feel free to click on the ‘contact’ tab or I have my social media and email underneath the ‘about’ tab. xoxo